The Australian Society of Viticulture and Oenology (ASVO), with funding from Wine Australia, has launched two podcasts as part of a new series Grower, Maker, Researcher – Wine Industry Insights looking at current best practice in the vineyard and winery, and what’s on the horizon.
The first two podcasts in the series look at yield assessment and optimising irrigation – two topics close to the heart of many growers and winemakers because getting them right delivers great benefits – and the costs of getting them wrong can be huge.
The podcasts take a very practical approach, talking to practitioners and researchers about current best practice and what changes to expect in the near future.
The yield assessment podcast explains that it’s vital for growers to collect and maintain accurate yield data, and for them to use consistent methods for data collection, storage and processing. This information would allow growers to make accurate yield assessments based on five-year historical averages, and also to be a step ahead when non-human-based yield assessment systems are improved as they are expected to draw on accurate historical information.
The irrigation efficiency podcast explains the importance of system maintenance and how using data from weather stations, soil moisture probes or plant sensors can reduce water use by 40–75 per cent without affecting yield or quality. The podcast explains what information growers should be keeping about yield and how they can achieve irrigation efficiencies while maintaining quality and yield.
Brooke Howell, President of ASVO, thanked the experts who participated in the podcasts:
- for yield assessment: Louisa Rose, Chief Winemaker at Yalumba Family Winemakers and Dr Mark Whitty, Senior Lecturer in Mechatronics at the University of New South Wales
- for optimising irrigation: Kristy Bartrop, Viticulture Technical Manager at Casella Family Brands and Dr Vinay Pagay, Senior Lecturer in Viticulture at the University of Adelaide, and
- Dave Gerner, Wine Australia’s AgTech Program Manager, who provided a glimpse into the future in both podcasts.
"ASVO is really excited to add podcasts to the extensive suite of technical information we make available to the Australian wine sector – through the Australian Journal of Grape and Wine Research, other publications, seminars, workshops, webinars and the AWITC Technical Conference", she said.
Jo Hargreaves, who manages Wine Australia’s Extension and Adoption Program, said "ASVO members are some of the most innovative practitioners across the country. In supporting this podcast series, Wine Australia is ensuring their inspiring stories are shared more widely – how they are overcoming challenges and achieving best-practice success “on the ground” in the vineyard and the winery. This is one way for us to enhance ongoing conversations across current research, innovation and AgTech and to hear first-hand how it’s being adopted in-practice by trusted peers."
The podcast will soon consider the management of short- and long-term effects of climate change in vineyards.
The podcasts are funded by Wine Australia through its Extension and Adoption program. Subscribe to the ASVO’s Grower, Maker, Researcher - Wine Industry Insights podcast on Apple Podcasts or Google Podcasts or Podbean or listen at www.asvo.com.au/asvo-podcasts.